Forest Service names new supervisor and deputy for Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has announced the selection of Erick Walker as the new forest supervisor and Vicki Lankford as the new deputy forest supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Walker arrived on Nov. 22 and comes to the lake from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (NF) in Washington state, where he had served as the Deputy Forest Supervisor since May 2018.

“I would like to say I am very honored and excited to be returning to the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Walker. “I look forward to working with the amazing staff on the unit and all of our partners to protect the health of Lake Tahoe and to serve the residents and visitors of this wonderful landscape.”

He grew up in Monrovia, California. The San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles NF were in his “backyard” and are where he sowed his love for and shaped his early experiences with public lands and the great outdoors. Erick’s parents still live in Monrovia, and his siblings (two sisters and a brother) are scattered across the country. He is married to his wife Kate and they currently have pets and no children.

Walker began working for the Forest Service in 1991 and was stationed on the LTBMU as a seasonal range technician while earning his degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Nevada-Reno. He left the Tahoe Basin in 1998 to continue his public service endeavors, which took him to the Almanor Ranger District of the Lassen NF. From there, Walker worked on the Humboldt-Toiyabe NF leading natural resource and public services programs. His interest in becoming a line officer landed him on the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes NFs where he served as the Deputy District Ranger for the Manchester RD. He also served as the Sandpoint District Ranger for the Idaho Panhandle NFs for nearly seven years.

“Kate and I are excited about moving to Lake Tahoe and becoming community members,” continued Walker. “We look forward to pursuing our interests in all things snow-related, hiking, biking, gardening, kayaking, and listening to live music.”

New Deputy Forest Supervisor Vicki Lankford arrived at the LTBMU in September and comes to the Tahoe Basin from the Battle Mountain District of the Nevada Bureau of Land Management where she served as a Deputy District Manager for five years.

Lankford began her federal career in California as a program technician with the USDA Tulare County Farm Service Agency (FSA) in 1988. During her career, she had opportunities to work for the USDA’s Office of Budget and Finance in Washington DC, and the USDA FSA Oregon State Office as a Program Chief.

The experience and expertise Lankford brings to the LTBMU are extensive and diverse. She worked in agricultural, natural resources, and land management fields for the entirety of her 33-year federal career and has a passion for improving the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands, so future generations can also reap the powerful benefits that access to nature, brings to our lives.

“With the short time I’ve been in this position, I have already seen what an incredible team we have, their passion for serving the public, and protecting the natural resources,” said Lankford. “I have also seen the powerful network of local partnerships in the region and look forward to reinforcing those relationships and working collaboratively towards shared successes.”

As a native Californian, she is excited to relocate to the Lake Tahoe Basin and looks forward to the diverse recreational opportunities the area has to offer.